


gentle sort of worship

by ratherbeblue



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Trans Caduceus Clay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23851081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratherbeblue/pseuds/ratherbeblue
Summary: Day 6 for Fjorclay week-Domesticity, aka my fluffy post-adventure married life fic.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Fjord
Comments: 6
Kudos: 75





	gentle sort of worship

**Author's Note:**

> just another warning incase you didn't read the tags or want a more specific one, this fic contains discussions of pregnancy, specifically caduceus being pregnant.  
> ...  
> what if i just used this fic as a vehicle for my oddly specific firbolg lore headcannons?

There are new weeds growing in the gardens of The Blooming Grove. The thick, hearty deep purple things grow in curled tendrils, nearly overtaking the spaces between the usual trees and vines along the outerwall. Fjord saw them while he was out hanging that day’s laundry out to dry and decided to get to work before Caduceus saw them and tried. 

It’s been ten months since Melora graced them with the confirmation of the pregnancy and Fjord has been filled with a nearly frantic excitement ever since. The new energy moves him from one project to the next in anticipation of the new arrival and in hopes that he will keep Caduceus from overexerting himself, though Caduceus often reminded him that he’s not going to be near incapacitated for quite awhile. 

Fjord gathers a pair of leather gloves from their shared home and sets out on ridding the garden. Unfortunately the weeds seem to have another idea.

They are tough and unyielding, and when Fjord gives up on finesse and tries brute strength they seem to almost pull back against his hand.

“Fjord.” He’s about to go in again when he hears his husband’s voice softly carried by the wind.

Fjord turns back and sees Caduceus standing at the edge of the garden, basket of mushrooms held at his hip, wearing a linen apron that he and Jester had worked on embroidering together. He looks soft and comfortable, his hair held back in two braids traditional of mated members of his family with a few pieces flying out of their confines to curl around the edge of his brow and the curve of the bemused expression on his lips.

“Those aren’t weeds.” He says. “They’re from Xhorhas.”

Fjord wipes the sweat from his brow and falls back into a sitting position. 

“Well that certainly explains the fight they were giving me.” He sighs.

“Sorry about that, he didn’t mean it.” Caduceus tells the plants in a low drawl, and they seem to preen under his words, curling up and brightening and looking much more like something grown intentionally than when Fjord had first found them. “A gift from Essek, their cycle takes a few years rather than seasons that’s why you haven’t seen them before.”

Fjord feels embarrassed but Caduceus doesn’t let him dwell. Instead, he holds out a hand.

“Come on, you can help me with dinner.”

“I’ve got it,” Fjord says, pushing himself up. “Want me to get those?”

“The mushrooms? I think I can handle it.” Caduceus responds with a roll of his eyes. “If you’re this worried now I hate to see you in another five months.”

Fjord lets out a sigh

“I’m sorry, I know I’ve been going a little overboard, I just… I’m so used to you taking care of me, I want to take care of you too.”

“You can take care of me tonight, dinner first.” Caduceus replies, lifting the basket again.

Fjord found himself spluttering alone as Caduceus walked away. It had taken years for Caduceus to understand the art of casual flirtation but the way he was invariably casual about their sex life always stopped him for a moment. 

He helped Caduceus prepare their dinner, a grain based dish with mushroom and a hearty green vegetable Fjord didn’t know the name of. Living together had given him a few more skills in the kitchen which he was fairly proud of, but Caduceus still took the reins more often than not.

They ate together in comfortable silence, Caduceus mentioning that Jester had messaged him that day to let him know that she and Beau were almost back to land and that they might stop by in the next week or so. Fjord was glad, though he knew they were both more than capable it still worried him slightly knowing they were alone on the Ball-Eater, with Olry and the crew of course, but without the rest of the Mighty Nein. He said as much and Caduceus smiled, settling down had been a joint decision that the two of them arrived at rather easily, apparently there is such a thing as too much adventuring, at least for now.

And soon they would be joining Veth in the next chapter of their lives, parenting, which she’s jokingly assured them on multiple occasions is much, much worse. At least Fjord thinks she was joking, well he’s pretty sure.

Either way he’s sure they’ll be fine, even if just by virtue of Caduceus being one of the parents. Fjord’s made no secret of how nervous he is, all his own insecurities rearing back their head at the most inopportune time, but Caduceus has been there too, calming him, reassuring him. And Fjord knows, now that he’s so much more at peace than he’d been in his life, that they can handle it, even when Caduceus’ parents tell him horror stories about his own husband as an infant and he truly can’t tell how much is exaggeration. 

Still, he wouldn’t trade where he was now for anything, nor any moment it took for them to get there.

He watches Caduceus, as they pass dishes between them, washing, then drying, and he counts his many, many blessings.

They don’t pray every night, in both their experience it’s simply not something She needs of them, instead they try to continue to live in a way that befits her acolytes. They take care of the grove together, and though they don’t plan on staying forever Fjord knows that during this time Caduceus would feel a little lost anywhere else. They continue tending to her gifts and she gives them some as well. That’s what Fjord likes to think of it as anyway, and he thinks Caduceus agrees, it’s a cliche but he really does seem to glow now.

His frame, which just a few years ago was unhealthily thin at the best of times has changed a lot since they’ve both moved into the newly healed Blooming Grove, he’s been eating well and relaxing much more so than Fjord had seen before. And now he’s rounded out considerably more, fifteen months into what they believe will be a typical two-year long firbolg pregnancy his body is filled with new curves and yielding flesh that is so different but no less him. Fjord thinks it suits him, more than he would have thought though he hadn’t really had that thought before.

Caduceus leads him to bed and promptly falls backwards onto it, reaching up his hands and flexing them in a grabbing motion.

“Come here.” He commands.

“I thought you were more than capable.” Fjord teases, but he joins him anyway, kicking off his shoes and bracketing his hips with his knees.

Caduceus sighs, reaches his hands up to cradle his face.

“I’ve reevaluated, I’m a complete invalid now, please take care of me, husband.”

Fjord kisses him deeply.

Being with Caduceus is one of the most sacred things in Fjord’s life and he likes to savor it as much as he can. He knows that his relationship with sex wasn’t the healthiest before they got together, every interaction he’d had was wrought with insecurity and obligation, devoid of true intimacy. But Caduceus changed everything, made him realize that sex could be something beautiful, an expression of love in it’s purest form, something natural and good. He’s so grateful, so unbelievably pleased that Caduceus has given him this gift, what can he do but try and repay the favor?

Fjord kisses Caduceus again and again, trailing over his lips down to his neck as they continue the easy dance of removing their clothes and settling against each other. Once they’re both laid bare Fjord makes his way with kisses down Caduceus’ body, stopping at the gentle curve of his stomach.

This is Her blessing, this is her gift, to him, to them, maybe just to the Clay family in general but Fjord doesn’t care, even if he is just a pawn in the greater picture of things, what a role to play. He is reverent in his touches, has been since the smallest hint of roundness had shown between Caduceus’ hip bones, it’s a gentle sort of worship, the kind he had been taught slowly, between cups of tea and quiet meditation. 

Now he uses this knowledge to bathe Caduceus in the same kind of love he’s always felt in his presence, selfless and light and warm. Caduceus had always been beautiful to him, but now he is something else entirely, healthy and bright and round and best of all, happy. He laughs softly when Fjord inadvertently tickles the bottom of his ribcage with his beard and Fjord basks in it, wants to live inside the moment with that being the only sound he’ll ever hear again.

He’s never been happier, and he knows that won’t be the last time he thinks that, not by a long shot.

**Author's Note:**

> i kind of want to write more in this universe, any suggestions?


End file.
